Queens Woman Arrested for Sandy Assistance Fraud

A Queens woman was arrested Monday after allegedly defrauding New York City’s hotel program for Sandy evacuees.

Caterina Curatolo, 43, allegedly lived in a city-financed hotel for nine months– even though her house was not damaged by the storm, state Attorney General General Eric T. Schneiderman said.

Ms. Curatolo allegedly reported that her Fresh Kills house was damaged by the Oct. 29 storm, writing in a document to the city that her home had “mold, mildew, flooded, no power/holes in the roof, no gas” due to Sandy, according to a government complaint.

Instead, the home had been damaged since at least 2011, authorities said. She also owns another nearby home, which authorities said they discovered after undercover investigators followed her.

Ms. Curatolo lived in several hotels since the storm, costing the city about $83,000, according the complaint.

Schneiderman’s office also alleges she used government and charity money to buy food and personal items at stores like Best Buy. She is also being charged with insurance fraud, after her automobile insurance company said she filed a claim for a Jeep Cherokee not damaged in the storm.

She was released on her own recognizance by a Queens judge Monday evening. An attorney for Ms. Curatolo couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

“We are holding price gougers accountable, taking a hard look at how charities spend Sandy-related donations and are making sure that no one gets away with abusing programs intended to help real victims,” Schneiderman in a news release. “Today’s arrest shows that scammers who trade on tragedy will be exposed and punished.”

The city began a hotel program for Sandy refugees after the storm. It has served more than 3,000 people. The city previously tried to shut down its hotel program but was sued by several evacuees, who said city officials hadn’t done enough to help them find a home.